This study sought to identify backgrounds and functions of the directors of residential centers for continuing education located throughout the United States. Data were solicited from sixty-five directors. Of those center directors responding to the written questionnaire, twenty-one qualified as residential centers having lodging, food, and conference facilities. All centers studied were located on a college or university campus. Information was collected concerning the demographic characteristics of directors, their professional preparation, the functions they perform, and the role conception they have about their position as director. Demographically, the directors were predominantly male, caucasian, approximately fifty years of age, earned relatively high salaries, and held nonfaculty appointments. While no definite career patterns have been established, it appears that residential center directors are appointed from within their university, have several years of experience as a director, possess a management degree and have no formal credit courses in adult and continuing education. The study identified five functions of importance to residential center directors: (1) the development and training of center staff, (2) the interpretation of center policy, (3) the planning of conferences with clients, (4) the formulation of center goals and objectives, and (5) the supervision of professional program planners. In terms of their own concepts of their role as residential center director, the respondents reported their role as being an educator responsible for effective adult programs as well as a businessman utilizing sound principles and practices. The results of this study are significant because they provide current information on residential center directors not previously reported. / Master of Science

Marriage role expectations were assessed by the Marriage Role Expectations Instrument mailed to divorced men, divorced women, first-married women and first-married men. A convenience sample was obtained from Solo Parents in Blacksburg, Virginia, classes at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campuses in Blacksburg and Reston, Virginia, and a church directory. The responses of 70 divorced persons and 128 first-married persons were obtained and compared on the basis of their traditional-equalitarian conceptualizations in six areas of role behavior--authority patterns, household tasks, childcare, personal characteristics, social participation, and finance and employment. In addition, the expectations of 26 divorced men and 44 divorced women were compared in the categories of incorporation of stepchildren, involving a new spouse in previous financial responsibilities, and acceptance of a former spouse or relatives. Divorced females were significantly more equalitarian than divorced males on the subscales of authority patterns and finances and employment and on the total score. Married females were significantly more equalitarian than married males on the subscales of childcare, social participation and finances and employment. Divorced females were significantly more equalitarian than married females on the total score and three subscales. Childcare was the only subscale on which divorced persons gave less equalitarian responses than married persons. Divorced persons were undecided concerning involvement of a new spouse in financial debts and acceptance of a former spouse. They were in favor of incorporation of stepchildren into a new marriage. / Master of Science

The method of stress freezing photoelasticity has been applied to a phase of the nozzle corner crack problem yielding results in the form of crack shapes and stress intensity factor distributions. Results of the current study are compared with alternate methods and different phases of the same problem. A discussion of the variational material behavior around the flaw border is also included. The applicability of the current method to the prediction of fatigue crack shapes is also discussed. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships existed between birth order, fashion opinion leadership and clothing conformity. The sample consisted of 60 first borns and 60 subjects from other ordinal positions. The instrument used in this research consisted of three parts: Schrank's (1970) Fashion Opinion Leadership (FOL) and Attitudes-Toward-Conformity and the nine statements forming Borsari's subscale of the revised Creekmore's "Importance of Clothing" questionnaire (1978). T-tests revealed that there was no significant differences between the mean scores of the first borns and those in other ordinal positions on the FOL inventory and both conformity measures. A significant difference was found between sex and the FOL scale, females were more likely to be fashion opinion leaders. The results of analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference between college attended and scores on the FOL and Schrank's conformity measure. Home Economic students were more likely than the students in Business and Arts and Sciences to be fashion opinion leaders and more likely than students in Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture and Arts and Sciences to conform. The results from a correlation showed that the validity of the two conforming measures was significant at the .05 level. / Master of Science

The techniques of stereology were applied to the microscopic transverse sections of 22 Brazilian tropical hardwood species. A minimum of 4 different trees, one slide per tree and 20 or 30 sampling fields per slide for each species were studied. Simple point fractions (P_p), intersection counts (P_L), and number of anatomical elements per unit area or feature count (N_A) were converted to cell area and size distribution parameters such as mean tangential (d̅_T) and mean radial cell diameters (d̅_R), mean chord intercept (λ̅_MCI) and mean free path (λ̅_MFP) values. In addition, area percentages and two moments of cell diameter distributions (M₁ and M₂) were calculated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's multiple range test were used to compare species. Within species differences were also tested. The results indicated large differences among the species studied in all quantitative parameters calculated. Some of the differences appeared to be large enough to suggest strong species specificity. No strong similarity occurred among species of the same family. Most within species differences were statistically non-significant. ANOVA and associated Duncan's multiple range test showed highly significant species specificity for all quantitative anatomical characteristics. These tests could be used for successive elimination of species to determine their identity. Bending and compression properties in the green condition were related to density. Residuals from those relationships were then related to six anatomical properties. Up to 80% of the variations in strength properties could be accounted for by density and an additional eight percent by quantitative anatomical parameters. / Master of Science

The viscoelastic behavior of a chopped glass fiber/polyester sheet molding compound (SMC-25) and of a modified epoxy adhesive (Metlbond 1113-2) as determined by creep and creep recovery tests is presented. A nonlinear viscoelastic characterization method of Schapery is presented and applied to the data for both materials. The nonlinear constitutive equation so obtained is used together with a delayed failure law postulated by Crochet to describe creep rupture data for both materials. Discussion is also given on the feasibility of applying the nonlinear viscoelastic procedures of Schapery in conjunction with the time-temperature superposition principle to obtain a time-stress-temperature surface to define failure. / Master of Science

An investigation into the characteristics of the housing crisis was conducted to identify a number of opportunities through which the architectural profession might contribute to the resolution of the housing crisis. These opportunities were evaluated and used as organizing elements in the development of an architectural response. It was decided that a construction system was needed which would reduce the cost of housing through the use of standardization, prefabrication, and a close attention to facilitating efficient construction management while net urcnecessarily constraining decisions which were related to the specific user or site. It was determined that a prefabricated system of standardized components that interfaced in a simple and consistent manner using both conventional methods and materials would best service this purpose. Such a system was proposed and a number of sample applications were developed and evaluated. / Master of Architecture

Two brushed tricot fabrics, a 100% polyester and an 80% acetate/20% polyester FR, were used to pursue the following objectives: 1) to develop a procedure for uniformly applying a known amount of mineral oil to the fabric specimens; 2) to develop a procedure for handling and conditioning the specimens which would maintain the uniformity of the treatment; 3) to determine whether the calculated amount of oil add-on could be verified by extraction; and 4) to determine the effects of mineral oil on fabric flammability before and after laundering in hard water with an alkali built soap. Major findings of the research included the following: 1) an oil-solvent system was selected for applying the oil to the fabric specimens; 2) a system to reduce the migration of oil on the treated specimens was developed; 3) mineral oil increased flammability at approximately 25% and above add-on levels; 4) a synergistic effect on fabric flammability between oil and calcium deposits could not be identified; and 5) a reproducible difference was found between oil contents determined by extraction and those determined by weighing after treatment. / Master of Science

Maternal attitudes of working and nonworking mothers were investigated. Demographically, the 60 mothers were highly educated, middle class parents who had preschoolers from three to six years of age. Two groups, consisting of 30 working mothers, the other consisting of 30 nonworking mothers, were administered an 85 item questionnaire. The questionnaire measured three attitudes; dominance, possessiveness and ignoring. A two sample t-test was used to analyze the data. No differences were found in maternal attitudes between working and nonworking mothers conce:cning possessiveness, dominance or ignoring. / Master of Science

The distributions of synchronized clock signals to all elements of a computing system is very important. Fletcher's clock patent is a good solution to this problem. The difficulty with implementation is the tremendous number of interconnections among different clock elements. Two methods are proposed to reduce the number of interconnectons without loss of synchronization and fault-tolerant capability. An mth order clock is a circuit consisting of (3f+1) ** (2** (m-1)) (m-1)th order clocks. Fletcher's clock patent is a 0th order clock. Starting with 0th order clocks, an mth order clock circuit can be built systematically. An mth order clock circuit can generate (3f+1)**(2**m) synchronized clock signals with (m + 1) (3f+ 1) ** ( 2**m) interconnections instead of (3f+1) ** (2*2**m) • Its fault-tolerant capability is also considered. Another type of connection is called Iterative Type, which is further classified into Cascaded Type, Scattering Type and 2-dimensional Type. Each type has its own characteristics. / Master of Science